Orlov, Hathaway go to Bruins in 3-team trade with Capitals, Wild
Washington gets Smith, draft picks for defenseman, forward
Boston acquired the defenseman and forward from the Washington Capitals on Thursday, along with forward prospect
Andrei Svetlakov
from the Minnesota Wild in the three-team trade.
"We're excited as a coaching staff," Jim Montgomery said. "There's no doubt we feel we got two playoff performers, guys that help you win in big moments when games matter the most, and I think we're going to start seeing that tonight."
The Capitals received forward Craig Smith, a first-round pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, a third-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Minnesota received Boston's fifth-round pick in this year's draft.
Washington retained 50 percent of Orlov's salary as part of the trade, and Minnesota retained 25 percent.
Orlov and Hathaway joined the Bruins in Vancouver on Friday.
"It's been a crazy two days but I'm excited for the game," Orlov said Saturday. "I didn't know anyone from the team but obviously they are a great team great having a great season and they got big goals. So as a player, you come and want to help and try to do your best and enjoy the game, enjoy the group and meet everyone and hope it's going to be a good run."
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The Bruins have the NHL's best record (44-8-5 after a 6-5 win at the Seattle Kraken on Thursday) but wanted improve their depth at defenseman and forward. Orlov has 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 43 games this season and was second on the Capitals in time on ice per game (22:43).
The 31-year-old has 256 points (60 goals, 196 assists) in 686 NHL regular-season games, all with the Capitals, and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2018. Orlov has 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 23 playoff games.
"I have to adapt for the system, adapt for the game style and just go from there," Orlov said. "There's a lot of things right now on my mind and just probably try to focus on the game and go shift by shift and hopefully everything will go well."
Playing mostly on the fourth line, Hathaway led Washington with 198 hits and has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 59 games this season. The 31-year-old had 76 points (38 goals, 38 assists) in 257 regular-season games with Washington. He has 116 points (54 goals, 62 assists) in 432 regular-season games with the Capitals and Calgary Flames, and five points (three goals, two assists) in 24 playoff games.
"I haven't been that many places, so to come to Boston, a team that I grew up watching, cheering for, and dreamt of playing for, now it's real," said Hathaway, who grew up in New England. "It's started to settle in. Once that jersey comes on, it's going to be really special.
"It's tough to leave a place that we've enjoyed so much but excited to go to a place that is such a great opportunity and everything about Boston is amazing so it's really nice to join."
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said the added depth will allow the Bruins to potentially rest some players down the stretch so they are healthy for the start of the playoffs. And being acquired more than a week before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline (March 3; 3 p.m. ET) should allow Orlov and Hathaway to get accustomed to their new surroundings.
"Strength in both areas for us, both on the defensive side and the forward side," Sweeney said. "In Dmitry's case, [he] adds a tremendous amount of versatility in being able to play both sides, contributing offensively and defensively. He has a physical component to his game, has a wealth of experience, has won a Stanley Cup.
"In Garnet's case, he's a penalty-killer, can play probably third or fourth line or middle-six and adds a dimension to our team to complement the current guys that we rely a lot on in that regard. I think he's wired in the same way as Dmitry in being ultra-competitive. So, I think they're both going to fit in really well in all those areas."
The Capitals (29-26-6) had lost six in a row prior to a 6-3 win against the New York Rangers on Saturday. They are a point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. With its chances of qualifying for the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season fading, Washington opted to add pieces for the future before the deadline that might help it retool its roster.
"Well, it's sad," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said Thursday of Orlov and Hathaway being traded. "Great teammates, good friends, good players. That's hard, but what [do] we say, it's a business. It's life, so I wish them luck and we have to move on."
As for Washington trading away players before the deadline instead of adding, Ovechkin said, "We still have a chance to make the playoffs. We try. I think we played a good game tonight, we just didn't get another one. But you never know what's going happen. We just will continue to play. It [stinks] it just happened, but nothing we can do. We players, we have to play the game and it's not our job to make a decision."
Orlov and Hathaway were among 11 players on the Capitals' active roster who are slated to become unrestricted free agents after this season.
"They were two guys who gave a lot to the organization," Washington coach Peter Laviolette said. "'Orly' played a lot of years here and was a really good defenseman for a long time, and Garnet came in and provided a different style of play and was also very good while he was here. So I wish those guys luck. These are decisions that are made from an organization. … That's just the business that goes on this time of year."
Smith had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 42 games with Boston this season. The 33-year-old forward has 408 points (195 goals, 213 assists) in 831 regular-season games with the Bruins and Nashville Predators, and 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 69 playoff games.
Svetlakov was a sixth-round pick (No. 178) by the Wild at the 2017 NHL Draft. The 26-year-old is playing with CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League and is not expected to join the Bruins this season.
